of all branches wounded in battle before world war i all the way up to the current wars in iraq and afghanistan and the not war. walter reed's doctors have also treated a number of u.s. presidents, lawmakers, and foreign leaders. in '07, a "the washington post" investigation revealed that many wounded troops had been living there in horrible conditions. two years earlier a government commission had voted to close the medical center and consolidate operations with the military facilities in nearby maryland and virginia. at a ceremony today, the army secretary john mchugh said walter reed has always been not just a hospital but an inspiration. >> here it's impossible to walk away without having been uplifted by the determination, the shear grit of those who are under the care of the professionals at walter reed. those warriors, those heros who have endured traumatic injuries and often horrific pain. yet, through all of that, maintain their fighting spirit, the spirit that has always been the heart and soul of the american soldier. >> shepard: the handover set to be fully complete by september the